Drag Link V06 Recall

[Mikes578514]

Welding on a part that contains bushings or bearings is not my idea of a safe repair

 

[Leonard Russo]

This calls for a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT! We spend $50 K or more on a truck & get a substandard fix on a known defective factory part! A new updated factory part is available & FCA needs to retrofit EVERY truck affected ASAP! FCA should be paying to have free alignments for life with this weld crap too! Unfortunately these are the avenues we gotta take when big Corporations put the little people under their thumbs who support them !

 

[RSL0311USMC]

This calls for a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT! We spend $50 K or more on a truck & get a substandard fix on a known defective factory part! A new updated factory part is available & FCA needs to retrofit EVERY truck affected ASAP! FCA should be paying to have free alignments for life with this weld crap too! Unfortunately these are the avenues we gotta take when big Corporations put the little people under their thumbs who support them !

Yeah and what they do now is you call FCA and they blame the dealer saying its up to them. Then the dealer says contact FCA etc lol..... I was pissed when a dealer said they blocked the part above from ordering. They want you to go through STAR. Funny you wont let anyone have the part so why block it? I hope I get mine but I am with you on the class action. I have definitely considered getting an attorney over this. It all comes down to I bought the truck with a functional adjustable part and fca's fix makes it no longer adjustable.

 

[2019RamInSC]

[QUOTE="Back in the days of the simple mechanical vehicles as was my 1968 Mercury Cougar this car and the Mustang had issues of a seat latch failure. It took FMC until 1977 to issue a recall. Mine broke around 1975 and I had it welded. I fell into the back seat floor while driving down Big Tujunga Canyon, but I didn't crash .[/QUOTE]

Wow! Talk about a blast from the past. My 69 Cougar did the same thing. It happened while I was depressing the clutch and shifting at highway speed. I managed to hang on and pulled over. Shoved my spare tire between the front and rear seat. Drove home and gave the car to my younger brother. Bought a 75 IHC Scout.

 

[Bob Macknight]

Hey guys, not for nothing,get under your truck and attempt to pivot the drag link by hand.You will more than likely not be able to if at all it would be difficult.This is because of the fact that the end joints are a sealed non greaseable part.Now think about it, as the truck articulates or should be able to at these points the resistance you felt trying to pivot the link is actually acting against the design intended for an end link.So, the resistance that is there due to lack of lubrication is in fact putting force on the drag link which could and most likely will cause those jam nuts to work loose.I took this into consideration and used a needle point grease fitting to puncture the boots to apply the MUCH needed grease in these joints,My drag link now doeas pivot as intended and have actually felt a difference in the steering handling of my truck,maybe if there were a replacement greaseable tie rod end available then we wouldn't have to deal with design flaws that ultimately are there just to cheap out on costs not to mention deliberate to shorten lifespans of componants on cars and trucks so we have to buy a new vehicle more often than back in the sixties and seventies. Just a THOUGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Grand Mesa]

.

 

[olyelr]

Thats my thought. They make them grease free for a reason. Not saying greasing them will for sure make it worse, but they are apparently designed to not be serviced.

 

[MedicWill]

Hey guys, not for nothing,get under your truck and attempt to pivot the drag link by hand.You will more than likely not be able to if at all it would be difficult.

Got under the truck and it moves just fine.

 

[crazy jerry]

spicer website has alot of info regarding sealed and nonsealed units. by design, greasable joints can and do allow contaminants in. this is why they typically need greased every oil change, so the crud gets pushed back out. sealed, because they use a totally different sealing system, need no attention under normal conditions. unless i was submerging the joints under water or mud on a regular basis ,i wouldnt want the greasable type

 

[BLUEDERANGO]

I have commented on this subject before and there is no way I would allow anybody to weld an adjustable part on my truck. With that stated I totally agree with the others that feel that FCA should replace the defective part, and yes, it is defective, with the new upgraded part without cost to the owners of these very expensive trucks. First it's a Safety Defect, there is no argument on that score.
Number 2, customer satisfaction goes a Long way in the truck community. From what I have read here FCA Customer Cares, Cares not a whole lot, and that's the part of this Cluster Fluck that I really don't understand. Now that the Feds are taking a second look it would seem to me that there has to be someone at FCA that would want this subject taken care of in a prudent and painless manner for the good of all concerned. If this goes on much longer I am sure someone will step up and file a class action lawsuit and I am sure most of us would join it, myself included. Myself I am just going to order the new upgraded Mopar Part and install it myself. Will I submit a claim, sure I will but I am not holding my breath or running to the mailbox looking for a check.
So in closing, please don't weld your nuts. Check your links and if you want peace of mind spend a $100 or so and Fix it once and for all. I am sure at some point down the road this will all come to a head but in the mean time just deal with it, it's not worth the grief or aggravation....

 

[Grand Mesa]

.

 

[IRSmart]

Since the recall requires that the drag link nuts are to be welded, will you be 100% confident that once you replace your existing drag link with the new Mopar Part and install it yourself, that it too, if you brought your vehicle into a Ram Dealership for any other service, won't have its adjusting nuts which are far closer to the wheels, welded? After all, the recall requires welding of the drag link nuts. Old drag link nuts versus the new drag link nuts are still nuts. Per the recall those nuts still require welding. I didn't see anything in the recall to state otherwise.

There’s nothing to weld on the new style.

 

[Maligator]

So I can say with absolute certainty that part #68338342AB works on 4th gen 2500s. Install was super simple.I did spray the tapered fits a few hours before with PB blaster, not sure if it made much difference. Definitely get a Pittman arm puller for the Pittman arm side. The knuckle side I smacked good on the knuckle and drag link a few times then used a brass hammer and gave a smack on the bolt on the ball joint and it popped right out. I made a match mark on my Pittman arm for reference so I could get close when adjusting it. I followed the recall bulletin torque values. Torqued the Pittman arm nut to 27ftlbs plus an additional 180° rotation on the nut. This turned out to be about 135ft lbs. Knuckle side was torqued to 44ftlbs plus 105°. This was about 70ftlbs. Coming off this nut was extremely loose I doubt it was more than 25ft lbs.

Broke the locking collar loose and spun adjustment sleeve easily by hand to move the steering wheel to where I needed it. Took it on a drive and had to make further adjusting. After I got it set I match marked the position of everything and torqued the lock collar to 55ftlbs.

ETA: I also made sure my old and new links were close in length before I installed to minimize my needed adjustment

With the adjustments and drives down the road to check the wheel maybe an hour and twenty minutes total. Easy job but definitely invest in the puller!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[thkbaron]

Nice pictures. Much appreciated. Hey what's with your sway bar disconnect? You need to get a junk yard unit or something? I see the grease pen writing all over it. I also noticed that shiny thuren track bar under there too!

 

[Maligator]

Nice pictures. Much appreciated. Hey what's with your sway bar disconnect? You need to get a junk yard unit or something? I see the grease pen writing all over it. I also noticed that shiny thuren track bar under there too!

To be honest I have no idea, I've never even paid it any mind. I bought the truck used but it only had 1500 miles on it. Had no issues with it disconnects and connects just fine. Yep put that on about 6 months ago or so, need the rear now!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[thkbaron]

Maybe I should look at mine before I said anything. Maybe mine has writing on it too. Haha

 

[Maligator]

Maybe I should look at mine before I said anything. Maybe mine has writing on it too. Haha

I actually just went and looked at it, can't tell what the first part says but after that it says "ok" ...lol

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[DA Smith]

I’ve got a slightly off topic question. I’ve got a 2019 PW and my steering wheel is slightly off center. I took it to the dealer and they checked the alignment and adjusted it, but now it’s off center the other direction (was the right, now the left). My question is can I make this adjustment my self via the drag link and if so, does it change the alignment if I do?

Yes you can do it but be sure your wheels are strait when you adjust the link. But what I would do is take it back to the dealer, I wouldn't worry with laying on the ground messing with my tools or getting dirty just because the dummy didn't do the job correctly at the dealer. Make them re do it until they get it right.

 

[thkbaron]

yeah usually that's like junk yard stuff for scrapped out parts. at least in my neck of the woods but maybe they did that on the assembly line or something. First power wagon I've owned. I don't know anything...…..haha

 

[Bob Macknight]

It's probably not in the vehicle's mechanical best interest to puncture through the non-greasable joint's boots, but it's your truck.

I have a 1941, two 1978's, and a 1998 vehicle(s) with greaseable zerk fittings of which require grease, but those with rubber boots don't have pin holes other than by their design. Unless they are broken, I won't be penetrating with a needle nose grease fitting my 2006, 2009 and 2016 vehicles. My 2006 and 2009 both have over150,000 miles on them without any suspension or steering issues. The newer style non-greasable links from what I have read are far superior in technology than my 1941 to 1998 Chevrolet Pickup's greaseable zerk fittings in that they do not allow for moisture or rust unless the rubber seal is damaged or compromised. The grease that's in there keeps on lubricating.

First off, as for the tiny pin hole that I sealed afterwards there wont be an issue.As for the actual design of a sealed unit it doesn't provide that ALL units produced have been properly greased when made,this is not a point for an argument just what in fact I have dealt with on my truck.I only shared this with others who might have the same problem with their truck and not to be put in my place by someone rather than acknowledge my entry and take it for what it is. When I got under my truck as I said it was difficult to pivot the link I had to use a wrench to get it to move completely,which was due to the lack of grease.My point was only that the supposed better design of a sealed unit doesn't make it better if its not being made as designed,ive got a 67 cougar im working on that has its original greaseable end links that are still in a useable and serviceable state,thats says a lot for old technology and longevity to where ive had newer vehicles with sealed units that last only short years.That is my point